Out of the Blue
by creating-not-finding
Summary: After Artemis quit the team and left without any explanation, Wally never thought he'd see her again...until she shows up three years later on his doorstep at Stanford, asking for a place to stay. Now the two will have to get to know each other all over again, confront the secrets from their pasts, and deal with living together as college roommates. (may be rated M in later chap)
1. Chapter 1

It had been three years to the day that Artemis Crock had walked out of his life when suddenly, out of the blue, she walked back in.

Well, technically speaking, first she'd knocked on his door. It was an average Tuesday morning, and Wally was late (as usual) to his World Economics class. His uncle Barry had always teased him about his remarkable ability to arrive late despite being the fastest kid alive. It had taken a year and a half of college life for Wally to realize that was true.

He'd slept through his alarm for the second time that week and was zooming around his small, two-bedroom apartment he'd rented for sophomore year, using his super speed to make up for lost time.

He had to admit, as lonely as it could get having a whole apartment to himself, the added perk was being able to use his powers without giving away his secret identity. His roommate had transferred out at the end of the first semester, something about the pressures of going to Stanford being too much for him. It would've been hard to cover two halves of the rent on his own, but luckily Wally didn't have to. It paid to have friends in high places. Or in his case, shadowy ones.

And he wasn't _really_ alone, he thought as he hastily dumped some doggy kibble into a bowl by the back door. He had Nelson, the twenty-pound American bulldog who was currently fast asleep in his bed. He'd inherited the dog from Connor, who'd had his hands too full with his current menagerie to take in another rescue. Wally hadn't thought of himself as much of a dog person until he'd met Nelson. Now Dick had a little competition in the best friend category.

He'd finished packing up his bag and was two steps from the door when he heard the knock. He skidded to a halt, wondering if it was one of his friends reminding him he was going to be late and hoping they hadn't caught side of a red-headed blur from outside the window. Hastily, he yanked the door open, and explanation already on his lips.

It fell flat as soon as he saw her. Suddenly he was speechless.

The first time he'd used his powers, he'd almost killed himself. He had never experienced speed at that caliber before; hadn't known the high speed friction would wear right through the soles of his sneakers or that the wind speed would all but tear through his clothes. And he especially hadn't accounted for the fact that at those speeds of over 200mph, the air felt as though it was being sucked right out of his lungs.

It was the same kind of experience he was having now, looking into those dark, steely eyes again.

She seemed to get that he would be incapable of speech for the foreseeable future, because she broke the silence first. "Hi Wally," she said, and hearing that husky voice almost put him into shock. "Long time no see."

His voice came back to him, miraculously, and somehow he managed to get something out. "Art-Artemis!" He choked. Not the most articulate response, but he was just happy his brain was still functioning.

"I see you've still got an unique way with words," the girl said, one corner of her mouth rising upwards in a smirk. The sight of it brought back a rush of old memories, dozens of images he had saved in his mind—all snapshots of that face. It was a sight he'd come to believe he would never see again.

Three years ago (damn...three _years_) he'd teleported into their headquarters at Mount Justice to be told by Green Arrow that Artemis had quit the team. He could still remember the shock, the confusion, the hurt—all feelings that were starting to return to him now—that had flowed through him as GA had informed the dumbfounded teens that Artemis had wanted to do it that way. No explanation. Not even a single goodbye. Her mother, they'd later discovered thanks to Dick's sleuthing skills, had passed away a few days prior. Her sister had disappeared shortly after that. They thought that might have had something to do with why Artemis had left. The news had come as a huge shock. She hadn't told a single one of them. She hadn't told _him_.

Dick had tried to get more details on it, but even with Batman's files he couldn't find anything. And despite the team's resources and their numerous appeals to the

Justice League, they couldn't find her. Partly because (as Wally had later started to suspect) she didn't _want_ to be found...and the Justice League must have respected her wishes.

The first few months had been hard. But eventually the team had accepted that the hole Artemis had left would never be filled. And they had moved on. At least, they told themselves they had.

Coming to terms with losing her had been the hardest thing Wally had ever done.

More painful than what he had experienced during that one training exercise from hell...because this time, losing her had been real. He hadn't opened his eyes to be told it was just a dream, that he'd imagined the whole thing, even though for a few weeks after she'd left he'd still wake up hoping he would. Instead he had to accept that he was gone for good. That kiss they'd shared on New Years had meant nothing.

So he had forced himself to let it go. He made himself get used to the fact that he would never see her again.

And yet, here she was.

She looked the same, except for a few minor differences. Her hair was shorter, for one. It hung only halfway down her back now. She was still lean and muscular; he could see the lines of definition in her shoulders from where her tank top left them exposed, could see the jeans she wore stretched tightly over the muscles in her thighs. But her body was different somehow; its lines were sharper, more pronounced. Her face had changed, too. There were shadows under her eyes and cheekbones. She looked tired; weary. The bright flash of steel in her eyes had faded and dulled.

Her smirk had long since died away in the time he'd been staring at her. Instead, she looked a little sad. Her eyes dropped to the ground and she shuffled her foot a little. The shy, meekness of the motion was so unlike Artemis he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Look," he heard her say, when it dawned on him that she was speaking again. "I know you probably have a lot of questions for me. And I know I'm really, really out of line here, to just show up like this-out of the blue. But I...I need to ask you a favor."

She took a deep, shaky breath, and then forced herself to look back up at him, to meet his gaze. "I need a place to stay."


	2. Chapter 2

Wally splashed the cool water on his face and stared into the mirror. "Ok,

Wally," he said, taking a deep breath. "You can do this. So what if she disappeared without an explanation? So what if she left you without saying why? That's ancient history. She needs your help."

Wally sighed, passing his hands over his face and then running them through his tangled red hair. He spared one more glance at his reflection. "Give her the benefit of the doubt," he told himself. Then he dried his face with a towel and stepped out of the bathroom.

He padded lightly down the hallway back to the living room, half-expecting to find it empty. Maybe he'd imagined the whole thing. But no, as he turned the corner there she was, right where he had left her, sitting alone on the couch with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, looking for all the world like a little lost child who'd just ran away from home.

She didn't look up as he entered the room, so he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um...hey," he said. Artemis raised her head. She gave him a small smile. "Hey yourself," she said, in a voice that was strangely devoid of the sarcasm he'd come to expect. Instead it just sounded small.

Wally felt uncomfortable standing in front of her, so he lowered himself into the armchair across from the couch and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. He rubbed his hands together, desperately in need of something to do with them while thought of something to say. Finally, he finally managed to break the silence. "So…what brings you to Stanford?"

Artemis pulled a piece of paper out of her back pocket and dropped it on the coffee table between them. "An acceptance letter," she said, "and a scholarship from Wayne Enterprises. Full tuition."

The entire statement was shocking enough, but Wally chose to focus especially on the name Wayne.

"Really? Wayne-ah, Enterprises?" He cleared his throat hastily, a somewhat sad attempt to hide his surprise. If Bruce knew Artemis was coming to Stanford, Dick would know. And if Dick knew something like that, he would tell him. Right? "That's a pretty generous deal," he added, "When did you apply?"

Artemis looked away. "I didn't. But a few months ago, the letter made its way to me. Apparently, my mother had made arrangements for my application to be submitted in her will. I guess the Wayne Scholarship had been part of that."

They fell silent for a few minutes as Wally let her words sink in. Finally, he spoke again. "Artemis," he began slowly. "I'm so sorry about your mom."

His words hung in the air for a few moments as her dark grey eyes burned into his. They gave nothing away, not even a hint of what she was feeling behind him. He realized that somewhere along the way, she'd stopped needing to wear a mask in order to hide who she was. She seemed to be doing just enough without it.

But he didn't regret his words. He'd wanted a chance to say them for so long, a chance he'd thought he would never get...but now he had.

At last Artemis lowered her gaze. Her eyes closed for a brief moment, as if she was savoring the words. Then, softly, she said, "Thank you."

The silence descended again, but this time, it was slightly more comfortable.

Wally shifted a little and cleared his throat again. "So you're here for school?" He asked, hoping his voice didn't betray and hopefulness, not fully sure if he even _was_ hopeful. "Permanently?"

Artemis nodded. "That's the plan. I took my boards, passed the entrance exam.

They were told I was taking a gap year, so it doesn't matter that I should be a sophomore."

"That makes sense," Wally said, not really sure how else to respond. For someone who could run fast enough to break the sound barrier, his thoughts were moving kind of slow. In fact, he was having a pretty rough time even forming them in the first place.

Artemis gave a small nod, and wrapped her arms around her chest. She was looking around his apartment interestedly, her dark eyes moving from the book shelves, cluttered with science almanacs and a couple books he'd saved from his freshmen literature course, to the copious bags of food he'd left lying out on the counters. Wally followed her gaze for a few moments before he started to feel a little self-conscious.

"It's, uh, not much," he said, not entirely sure why he was trying to defend himself to her, since really that was the last thing he needed to be doing. "But...you know. It's home."

Artemis' eyes flash back to his. "No, Wally. It's great. It's really you."

A few years ago that would have been a dig: one of her caustic remarks to which he'd have responded with a retort that was equally biting. That was the rapport he'd grown accustomed to, even fond of. But, like almost everything else about her, that had changed. Now when her steely eyes found his again, they were genuine. It was different...but maybe that wasn't bad.

"Well," Wally said, and took a breath, bracing himself for the plunge. He was really going to do this. "It can also be you. I mean, yours. For as long as you want. If you need a place to stay, that is..."

He trailed off awkwardly, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. It was like he'd lost the ability to function properly in social situations. Not that this one was very typical. It wasn't every day your ex-girlfriend...ex-whatever she was...showed up after mysteriously vanishing from your life. And it certainly wasn't everyday that you offered them a place to stay.

Artemis seemed to realize that, too. Because when he finally worked up the nerve to meet her gaze, there were tears in her eyes. She looked away quickly, trying to hide them, and he looked away too, giving her a chance to pretend he hadn't seen. He tried to remember the last time he'd seen Artemis cry. Then he realized he never had.

When Artemis spoke again her voice was hard, but he could still hear the slight waver in it that betrayed her. "Wally..." she began, "I...don't know what to say." Her voice broke a little on the end, and he felt his own throat seize up a bit, although with what emotion he couldn't even begin to know.

"Thank you." she said, "I don't think I can ever—ever repay you."

Wally didn't know how to answer. So he just gave her a smile, one of the big, brilliant ones that he saved for really special occasions. "You're welcome, Artemis. What are...teammates for?"

He hoped she wouldn't catch his uncertainty in word choice, wouldn't read in to his careful selection of one. It was bad enough to deal with the fact that he'd seen Artemis with tears in her eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was remind her of the fact that they'd been more than just teammates.

If she had noticed, she didn't let on. Instead she smiled back—a smile that looked so small and broken it almost made his throat close up again—and nodded.

"What are teammates for," was all she said.


	3. Chapter 3

"She's WHAT?!"

"Dick!" Wally hissed through gritted teeth. "Look, if you don't keep your voice down I'm gonna hang up," Adjusting the com link in his ear, he glanced down the hall, nervously checking to see if Artemis had stirred. She hadn't, though; he could still see her blonde hair splayed over the pillowcase through the crack in the door to the second bedroom, the tops of her tan shoulders peeking out from beneath the thick comforter.

He let out a low sigh of relief and turned back to the kitchen. After she had interrupted their continued awkward attempts at conversation with her fifth consecutive jaw-breaking yawn, it had at last dawned on Wally to offer her the room to sleep.

As soon as he'd heard her stop rustling around, he'd called Dick.

"Sorry," his current team leader muttered over the link. "I'll keep it down. But you better start explaining."

"How am I supposed to explain?!" Wally exclaimed, before hastily realizing that now he was the one who needed to keep his voice down. He lowered it to a strained whisper. "Dick, she just showed up here. No explanation of where she'd been, or why she'd left. But she had an acceptance letter. And get this: a scholarship from _Wayne_ Enterprises."

The line went so quiet Wally thought the call had been dropped. But then he heard Dick's voice again, low and deadly. "_What_."

"So you didn't know?"

That was a relief, Wally hated to admit. As much as he had wanted to believe Dick hadn't known, a small part of him had been suspicious of his friend. He chalked it up to the growing amounts of time they spent apart from each other. With him balancing school and Dick patrolling the streets of Bludhaven as Nightwing, the only times they really saw each other was on missions, and that was only an occasional gig for Wally. He only got out with the team every couple of weeks nowadays. Besides, having Dick shout orders at you while you dodged bullets didn't exactly count as bonding time.

"No," Dick said, and Wally heard him give a heavy sigh. "I didn't. But I've always had my suspicions that Bruce was keeping tabs on Artemis all this time. I wouldn't be surprised if he sent the scholarship." Dick's voice got low again. "And I'm even less surprised that he did it without telling me. Bruce and I haven't exactly been on the greatest terms lately."

Wally didn't say anything. He knew Dick had been having some trouble with his mentor. He figured it might have had something to do with Dick's new superhero identity...and the fact that Bruce had already found some street kid to replace him as Robin.

"I'll...talk to Bruce," Dick told him, sounding somewhat reluctant. "If he knows something about where Artemis has been, what she's been doing all these years, we deserve to know. Did she tell you anything?"

"Nothing. I started to ask her about it but she was pretty exhausted. I figured

I would bring it again when she's had some rest," Wally replied, just as reluctantly. The truth was he didn't _want_ to ask Artemis about where she'd been. As much as part of him wanted to storm into the room where she slept and demand to hear an explanation, another part was too scared to bring it up. Terrified. Because bringing it up would mean he'd have to hear her say that reason she'd left without a word was because she hadn't loved him enough to stay.

"That sounds good," Dick was saying, "So...does that mean you're really going to let her stay?"

Now it was Wally's turn to heave a sigh. Between the two of them, they were starting to sound like two old men.

"Yeah," he said at last. "I'm going to let her stay."

It was the right decision, Wally knew. He couldn't turn her away, not when she needed hi—not when she needed somewhere to live. It wasn't that he still had feelings for her (because he_ didn't_, no way). It was that he'd meant what he said about teammates. And without getting into all of the other stuff she had been, he could also say that she'd been his friend. And Wally West didn't turn his back on his friends.

"Well, then I'm proud of you, KF. I know this can't be easy."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Wally felt himself smile a little. "Thanks, 'Wing."

"I'll try to stop over as soon as I can. Until then, just sit tight. We can figure out how to break this to the rest of the team later." The sound of gunshots crackled over the link. "Gotta go. Talk to you soon."

"Go kick some ass," Wally said into the piece, and the line went dead.


	4. Chapter 4

The last waning rays of sunlight streamed into the room, steadily making their way across the carpeted floor and up onto the pillow where Artemis slept. As the light began to crawl across her face, she opened her eyes, blinking blearily. A low groan escaped her throat, gargled and throaty. It felt like she was waking from the dead. Outside, the California sky was a beautiful shade of purplish-pink, the mountains of Paolo Alto just breaking over the horizon line in the distance. She could already see the sparkling of stars in the far upper corners of the sky, where it had already started to fade to a deep, inky blue. Not a bad view. It definitely beat Gotham sunsets, anyway.

Artemis yawned, stretching her arms over her head and reveling in the final traces of sleep as it left her body. For the first time in a long time, she felt rested. It felt good. She'd forgotten how nice it felt to wake up in a bed.

At last, she fully roused herself, throwing off the coves and rising from the bed. A weird smell had started to drift into the room, bitter and smoky. She wrinkled her nose, searching the bedroom for the source of the smell, but it was clean, for the most part. Some clothes were sprawled out on the floor around the closet, and there were a few knick-knacks scattered around on the bookshelves, but for the most part the room seemed kind of bare. She'd assumed the extra room had belonged to Wally's roommate but it didn't seem like anyone slept here. Artemis did her best to ignore that the thought gave her a fleeting stab of hope.

Instead, she cautiously peered through the crack in the door to the hallway. The light was on in the kitchen, and she could hear someone bustling around, although she couldn't make out who it was. But a sudden crash and the sound of someone cursing quickly confirmed the person's identity. Wally.

Artemis felt the corner of her mouth twitch upwards for an instant, but she quickly tempered the impulse. She didn't have the right to smirk at Wally's antics. Not anymore.

She padded down the hall quietly, the burning smell getting worse with each step. Wally's back was to her as she drew level with the kitchen, his bright red hair dulled slightly by the thick layer of smoke that hung in the air. The smell assailed her all at once, and Artemis gave a little cough, despite herself. Wally whirled around instantly, green eyes wide.

"Artemis!" he exclaimed, a red colored flush beginning to dye the skin beneath his freckles. "You're awake! Good...uh, I mean, great! Great."

A warm, fluttery feeling was starting to grow in the pit of her stomach at the sight of Wally's flustered state, something suspiciously like the beginning rumble of a laugh, so Artemis quickly averted her gaze to the rest of the kitchen. There were at least three oversized pots balanced precariously on the stove, each emitting plumes of dark smoke. One was oozing a crusty red substance that looked like marinara sauce gone horribly, horribly wrong.

A slow realization was starting to dawn on her. Wally seemed apprehensive of that fact, because he was hurriedly starting to fan the smoke and cover the pots, muttering something incoherent under his breath. It was made a little difficult by the fact that he was wearing an oven mitt...on both hands.

Artemis waited as patiently as she could, but when it appeared that the awkward little scene in front of her showed no sign of stopping, she couldn't hold it in anymore. "Um, Wally?" she asked in a small voice, "Were you trying go cook?"

That stopped him, at least. He turned, embarrassment clouding his features, and ran a hand through his hair with a little laugh. "Well...yeah," he admitted finally. "I thought you might be hungry when you woke up and I didn't think Chicken Whizzies and leftover takeout would count as a worthy meal for the occasion."

"The occasion of me waking up?" Artemis asked, raising an eyebrow.

Wally turned even redder. He dropped his gaze quickly. "No, for...you know..." he mumbled at his sneakers. "For a reunion."

He fell silent instantly. Now it was Artemis' turn to feel uncomfortable. Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest. Her eyes were starting to prickle suddenly but she told herself it was from the smoke in the room.

But deep down she knew the real reason was because she'd forgotten just how sweet Wally could be.

"Well..." she said at last, when she could no longer stand the silence. "I don't know about the Chicken Whizzies, but I'm pretty sure no one ever said pizza couldn't count as a worthy reunion meal."

Wally's bright eyes flashed to hers, pinning her with their dazzling green. A bright white smile accompanied them. "I know an awesome place," he replies, already ripping off his oven mitts. "And they deliver."

A few minutes later and they were both sitting at the kitchen table, a giant, meat-lover's pizza lying enticingly between them. Wally had already worked his way through half, but he stopped himself from pursuing any of the pieces on her side. Instead he waited patiently as she helped herself to her second slice.

She was starving, too, but she couldn't bring herself to wolf down the entire thing. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had pizza, but as soon as she took the first bite she had no idea how she had ever lived without it. It was so good.

And, a small part of her couldn't help but admit, it was also good just to be sitting there with Wally. Watching him eat had been as disgusting as she'd remembered, true, but she found it didn't bother her at all. Besides, the comfortable silence that had descended afterwards had more than made up for it.

It had been a good sign that when she'd first shown up he hadn't slammed the door in her face. The fact that he had let her sleep in his roommate's bed then had almost burned his house down in an attempt to make her dinner was probably a good thing, too. And he had told her she was welcome to stay.

But in Artemis's experience, a couple of good things did not a happy ending make. And Wally still hadn't heard her story. For all she knew, he would throw her out of his house and tell her he never wanted to see her again as soon as he did. So the silence was worth savoring even more than the pizza.

She could feel Wally's eyes on her as she ate but concentrated on carefully avoiding them. The questions were coming, she knew. It was probably killing him not to start now; his anticipation was almost tangible. And as much as she wanted to, she couldn't ignore them forever. She owed him an explanation. She owed him more than that, really, but an explanation would be excruciating enough. She really didn't think she could make it through an apology, too.

Finally, after she'd finished her fourth slice of pizza and was satisfyingly full, she leaned back, dabbing her mouth with a napkin and letting loose a small, contented sigh. And then she made herself meet his gaze.

Wally was watching her with an unreadable expression on his face. As their eyes met, he opened his mouth. Artemis braced for the barrage. Instead his tone was pleasant, conversational in fact, as he asked, "So are you good to move into the guest bedroom?"

Artemis felt her eyes widen in surprise, for seemingly the hundredth time this day alone. This was Wally, the cocky, science guy who used to challenge everything, questioning every situation until it made sense to him. Hell, he had even questioned magic after they'd see it happen right before their eyes every time Zatanna had opened her mouth. But he didn't have a question for her _now_?

It finally dawned on Artemis that just because he ate the same way didn't mean Wally hadn't changed.

"That would be great," she replied in a rush, hoping her voice accurately conveyed the gratitude she felt. "I don't have much stuff so I won't take up a lot of room."

Wally nodded, reaching over to grab another slice of pizza. For the first time since Artemis had arrived, she let herself look at Wally—_really_ look at him. And she was right. He had changed. Gone was the lean, sinewy boy she'd used to know. He'd filled out nicely since then, she thought, noting the lines of muscles in his neck and shoulders and the new broadness of his chest that showed through his thin white. He still had the body of a runner, but it was a boy's body no longer. Somewhere along the way, Wally had become a man.

Artemis had never really like change, but this was something she figured she could get used to.

"Don't worry about that," he was saying as he chewed. "My roommate moved out a couple weeks ago. And I've, uh, got some help on the rent so we're all good there."

That sounded a little strange but Artemis didn't think it was any of her business to question it. And with her accounts currently frozen at the moment by a mysterious source, she didn't really have much to offer by way of finances. The fact that rent wasn't an issue seemed pretty convenient. A little too convenient, actually. It might require some answers later. But for now, she was content to simply nod and offer a small smile in reply.

"Second semester just started," Wally was saying, "so I'm assuming you'll start classes soon. Do you have your schedule and everything?"

Artemis shook her head, a little embarrassed. "Not yet. My decision to come here was actually a little…rushed. I don't exactly have it all figured out yet."

Wally glanced at her quickly, but didn't ask her to elaborate. "That's okay. I'll take you to pick it up tomorrow."

"Don't you have class?"

Wally grinned sheepishly. "Well, yeah," he answered, "but it's not a big deal. That's kind of the beauty of college."

Artemis smirked, and felt herself chuckle a little despite herself. "I'll take your word for it," she said. A little softer, she added, "And…thanks. I could use the company." Wally nodded at her. Their eyes met, held. For a moment they just sat that way, looking at each other, as if trying to see the person that they used to know in the person that was now a complete stranger to them. It should have been painful, or at least uncomfortable. But it wasn't. Instead, Artemis thought it felt…good.

"Wally…" Artemis said at last, breaking the silence with a shaky breath. "I know you have questions for me. Where I've been, what I've done….why I left. And you deserve an explanation." Artemis paused, pinning him with a look that she hoped conveyed her conviction as she continued. "I _know_ that. And I promise you I'll give you answers. It just…it just might not be that easy to hear."

Artemis' voice broke off at the end and she fell silent again, her eyes dropping to the last slice of pizza, no longer able to meet his gaze. Her skin prickled uncomfortably under his gaze and suddenly she felt sick to her stomach. How could she still look him in the eyes after what she'd done? When she'd have to tell him?

She didn't deserve to be sitting there with him, gazing nostalgically into his eyes and admiring the way he'd changed, the person he'd become. She didn't even deserve to be sitting at his table.

Instead, to her surprise, it was Wally who sounded uncomfortable. "It might not be easy, huh?" he repeated in a low voice. There was a note of tension in his voice that took her aback. Before she could comment on it, he spoke again in a rush. "That's okay. We can save that conversation for another time."

He got to his feet hastily, shoving his chair in. "You know, I'm pretty beat," he was saying to her dismay, "I think I'm going to turn in." Without looking at her he added hastily, "Feel free to do what you want. The TV works and the bathroom is all yours, when you need it."

Artemis was staring at him in dismay. They'd been getting along so well. What had changed? "Wait!" she exclaimed before she could help herself. He looked at her in surprise and she quickly added, "Uh, I mean…don't you want the last slice?"

Wally paused for a moment, his eyes on her. Then he shook his head. "I'm not that hungry."

Artemis fell silent, stunned. She could do nothing but watch him, eyes wide, as he turned and started heading towards his bedroom. He paused at the door, giving her a smile over his shoulder and a weak "Well…Goodnight." And then he disappeared into his room, pulling the door shut behind him.

She sat there, staring after him, and thinking suddenly that she'd been right after all. Just because he'd let her stay didn't mean she'd get a happy ending.

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! I enjoyed reading them—it helps me stay motivated to keep writing! Please keep it up, and thanks for bearing with me. Sorry for making this so long…**


	5. Chapter 5

It was three o'clock in the morning, and Wally West was wide awake. He'd tried all his usual tricks—a glass of hot milk, some stretching, counting beakers (yes, that made him the biggest science nerd ever. He'd accepted it). Nothing had worked. His thoughts had moved painfully slow in Artemis's presence, glacier-paced as he'd tried desperately to think of things to say. But of course now, when he actually wanted them to be slow, they were back to their regular speed. He was the fastest kid alive and he could barely keep up.

_It might not be that easy to hear._

It was amazing to him that even after all this time Artemis still knew exactly where to find his weak spot. How many times had she done that when they'd still been together on the team; found the chink in his armor in a way no one else could? And now, even though she hadn't seen him in three years, she had done it again. She knew—she _knew_—that telling him why she'd left would be painful for him. The fact that she'd put it that way had confirmed everything he'd feared. If it would be hard for him to hear her reason, that meant that it had something to do with him, right? She'd given him fair warning so he could brace himself for the truth, a truth that had haunted him since the day she'd disappeared—the truth that when it all came down to it, he had cared more about her than she had for him.

And that's why leaving him had been so easy.

Wally moaned, rolling over and burying his bright red hair under one of his pillows. He'd been such a pussy earlier, bolting from the dinner table as if the legions of hell were chasing him. All he'd done was delay the inevitable. He knew he'd have to hear it sooner or later.

His stomach growled noisily, reminding him of another consequence of his cowardly flight—passing up the last slice of pizza. Wally West _never_ passed up the last slice of pizza. And boy, was he regretting it now.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He sat up, flinging the covers back and padding across the room to his closet. He pulled some shorts on over his boxers, slipped the first t-shirt he could find over his shoulders, and dug around until he came up with his running shoes. Not the flimsy, plastic-soled things he'd wear for track practice (that was a joke)—his _real_ ones, with the re-enforced tread, the ones he'd specially developed when he'd first got his powers. On nights like this, there was only one real way to calm him down.

He needed to _run_.

The night air greeted him in a rush of wind, plummeting into his face as he shot out the door. His apartment was in a quiet, residential area a half-mile away from campus, so one of its perks was that he didn't have to worry about being seen at night, like if he felt like taking a 3am run, perhaps. And, as the ground beneath his feet began to slowly shift upwards, he was reminded of another perk—it was only two miles away from some of the best mountain trails California had to offer.

With each high-speed step, Wally could feel the worries drifting away, rolling off him as easily as the beads of sweat that were starting to coat his arms and shoulders. He needed this rush; the rush of the air, the rush of his body, the tension in his muscles as the incline got steeper. There were some days when he questioned whether or not he wanted to quit the hero business. But he knew that his speed was something he could never give up.

A few minutes later—or maybe seconds, he wasn't that good at keeping track of time while he ran—he'd reach the end of the trail, skidding to a halt just before where the path met the edge of the mountain face. The town of Palo Alto laid sprawled out before him, a thousand lights twinkling in the darkness. A few miles away he thought he could just make out the dark outline of the San Francisco Bay.

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh, clear air. Instantly, tension he hadn't even known he'd had released its grip on his shoulders.

He and Artemis were going to be okay. Yes, the idea that she hadn't cared about him as much as he'd thought was painful. But it had been three years since then. He had a different life now, one that was all his own. He was a different _person_. What he'd had with Artemis—or _hadn't_ had, apparently—was part of the past. They'd both been kids, trying to figure out their place in a world that was a lot more complicated than most.

And really, he'd gone up against Vandal Savage, Captain Cold, most of the Justice League's most dangerous supervillains combined! He'd been saving the world since he was fifteen years old. He could handle an uncomfortable conversation, for crying out loud.

Hearing what Artemis had to say might not be easy. But it sure as hell wouldn't kill him.

**A/N: Finally had time to write an update. And just in time for Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone **


	6. Chapter 6

_Cold rain is pounding the ground, driving into her skin with the force of a thousand icy fists. It slickens leather of her jacket as she runs, obscuring her vision to the point of near blindness as she tears across the dark, shadowy rooftops. Thunder roars through the air, deafening to her ears. The city is a haze of bright lights and colors; neon signs burn into her eyes like hot, flaming brands, further disorienting her. But then she catches a flash of green and black, the sharp gleam of moonlight on steel, and she pushes on, increasing her pace. She can barely hear herself breathing over the sound of the storm, but her throat is tight and her lungs are constricted painfully and her muscles ache in protest as she pounds across the concrete. Her fingers brush her side as she launches herself over the edge of a rooftop and come away dyed dark red with blood as she lands. _

_The sensations all blur together; cold, wet, bright, burning, dark, red…until she thinks there will be no end to it. Then suddenly, her body freezes. The figure stands before her, as still as a statue, balanced precariously on the ledge of the building. Her eyes narrow as she realizes there's nowhere else for to run. She's caught her at last. They stand, staring at each other, as the freezing rain drills into their bodies. Words are bubbling up in her chest—everything she wants to say—but they won't come out; she can't seem to force them from her lips. Instead she stands there, frozen. A flash of lightening rips through the air, illuminating them both. She sees the figure's face covered by a white ceramic mask, plastered with long strands of wet black hair. _

_It's the last glimpse she has as the figure turns, away from her, peering out over the edge of the roof. _

_And then steps off. _

A scream tore from Artemis' throat. She sat bolt upright, clutching the covers with clawing fingers, as if she was drowning in them. Her body was covered in a cold sheen of sweat and she felt herself shaking uncontrollably, her body wracking with silent sobs.

Suddenly, two arms materialized out of nowhere, wrapping around her shoulders. Instinctively, Artemis flinched—her body tense and ready to fight them off. But then she heard a comforting whisper in her ear, caught a whiff of cool night air that still clinging to his clothes. And just like she felt herself relax. Her fingers dug into his arms, holding them there, just a moment longer…until she reminded herself that things hadn't changed. Wally still wasn't hers to hold.

She released him, and a moment later he let go, too, leaning back to look intently into her face. His green eyes bored into her own as if she was one of the beakers at his lab, keen to understand. Feeling likened to a science experiment probably would offend most people, but for some reason, it comforted her more than she could fathom. His voice was low and insistent as he asked her quietly, "Artemis, are you okay?"

She was starting to feel like a nut case and so she nodded quickly. "Yeah," she said, her voice so dry it broke. "Yeah," she repeated, a little more firmly. "Just a…bad dream."

Wally frowned. She watched the little line appear between his eyebrows with fondness. It was the same face he'd used to make when he was concerned, and it was something about him that _wasn't_ different. And it was directed at her again, the way she could remember it from a few times when they were younger. "I'll say," he finally spoke. He reached out absentmindedly and brushed a strand of hair away from her sweaty forehead. Artemis hoped he didn't notice her blush. "You scared me a little there, Arty."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, dropping her eyes to the hands she held in her lap, clenched so tightly the knuckles were white.

"No, I didn't mean—don't _apologize_!" Wally's voice was incredulous, as if he couldn't believe he had just heard her utter those words. Artemis suddenly wondered if he ever had before. "It's not your fault for having a nightmare."

His voice lightened slightly as he added with a grin, "It might have been that pizza from last night, actually. It's definitely given _me_ some weird dreams before."

Artemis gave him a small smile, the best she could really muster under the current situations. She knew her nightmares didn't have anything to do with greasy food. But Wally was trying to cheer her up. And just the fact that he was trying did the trick.

"What time is it?" she asked suddenly, as it suddenly occurred to her. "Did I wake you up?"

Wally suddenly looked sheepish. Just then she noticed he had on a pair of running shorts. "No," he replied, "Actually, I was up already. I like to get in a good, uh, morning jog before the day starts."

Artemis arched a skeptical eyebrow. "A _jog_? Really? My goodness, college life has really tamed you, Kid _Flash_."

Wally laughed and gave an easy shrug. "Alright, alright. So I wasn't jogging. Can't blame a speedster for loving to run."

"No, you can't," Artemis replied, unable to keep the note of affection out of her voice because damn, she hadn't realized how much she had _missed_ him. They sat there for a few moments longer, enjoying the moment—when suddenly it dawned on Artemis that she was sitting there wearing only a loose tank top and some underwear. She jumped up suddenly, reaching for the covers, and Wally reacted instantly, zooming up and away from the bed in a flash. "Oh! Uh, sorry!" he was stammering, already starting to turn a brilliant shade of red. "I didn't realize…I mean—"

Artemis was laughing, something that a few minutes ago she didn't think would be possible. "Wally, it's okay. I'm in my underwear, not _naked_," she told him, chuckling. Her laughter suddenly stopped as she realized her choice of the word 'naked' probably wouldn't do much to diffuse the tension of their current situation.

Sure enough, Wally turned an even brighter shade of red, so much so that his skin practically matched his hair. Voice strained, he started edging towards the door. "Alright, well…I'll just let you get dressed, then," he was saying, and then paused at the door. "We can go get your schedule when you're done?"

"Sounds good," she answered with a smile, and Wally grinned and shut the door. The smile stayed etched on her face for a few moments as she stared at where he had been. Then she felt it slowly slide off of her face. The sound of thunder still echoed in her thoughts. She could almost feel the icy touch of rain.

And she wished that it really _had_ just been a bad dream.


	7. Chapter 7

It took her all of three minutes to fall in love with the campus.

One. She felt the sunlight on her face as she stepped out onto the main quad and saw the way emerald green grass seemed to glow against the dark brown sandstone and terracotta of the buildings.

Two. She heard the sounds of the students who filed past, their voices loud and fervent as they critiqued the latest essay they had read by Voltaire, exchanged opinions on Einstein's relativity theory, or argued whether or not democracy would finally find a foothold in Bialya. She could hear the excitement and passion in their voices, as palpable to her senses as the words themselves; the kind of excitement she hadn't felt about anything for a long time.

Three. She caught a glimpse of Wally's face as she shot him a quick, sidelong glance. He was staring out at the space in front of them, wearing one of his brilliant bright white smiles. His green eyes matched the emerald of the lawn and they glimmered with pride. Not the arrogant, over-confident kind she'd seen so often in people, but a true, genuine pride—the pride you get from looking at something that you love.

After that she was a goner.

They spent the rest of the day touring the campus. Wally showed her where all her classes were, rambling on about which of her professors were interesting, which ones were horribly boring, which ones encouraged class discussion and which ones would need a good two or three row barrier to keep safe from their flying spit. He told her about his experiences as a new student freshmen year; that it had been strange at first, settling in to college life so far from home. He explained that in order to adjust he had decided to take some time off from the team, and after she had recovered from the painful twinge she first felt when he mentioned it, she found herself listening raptly to his story. He told her he had missed the crime-fighting life, and that he still did a few missions here and there when he could—but that ultimately, he'd decided it had been time to learn who he was outside of the uniform. She'd thought that was pretty great.

By the time the sun had set over the Palo Alto valley, any lingering resignations about attending college had long since passed. Wally had taken her to one final place, in order to conclude their tour "the proper way". Now the two of them stood, side by side on the roof of the Meyer Library at the center of campus. According to Wally, it was the best place on campus to see the stars—which made it worth the risk that they weren't officially allowed to be up there.

And Artemis had to hand it to him, it really was. The campus was sprawled out before them, a series of rooftops whose red tiling was gently highlighted in the soft glow emitted from street lamps and dorm windows. And above them, the stars exploded across the sky, a million little bursts of white that Artemis thought were almost as brilliant as Wally's smile. The night was quiet, with a soft wind just strong enough to cool the air, and as Artemis looked out at her new home she found herself thinking that maybe her mother really had known her after all. Paula Crock had chosen the perfect place for her daughter to start a new life.

The thought brought tears to her eyes and Artemis blinked rapidly, unaccustomed to such intense signs of emotions. It had been a long time since it had been acceptable to show her feelings, and the compulsion to fight them was still strong from where it had been drilled into her. Ever since she'd been back with Wally, though, her training seemed to have fallen by the wayside. She'd been letting her emotions slip constantly lately, and now was no exception. Nevertheless, she hoped Wally didn't notice as she quickly swiped a hand across her face, brushing the wetness away as discreetly as she could. When she set back on the banister, though, he reached out and covered it with his own.

"Artemis," he said, his voice gentle. "You're going to do great here."

That made the tears well up again, and this time, she didn't have a free hand to brush them away. Instead, she simply closed her eyes, giving into the feeling of gratitude tinged with melancholy that washed over him at his words. It amazed her that he could read her so well, even after all their time apart. That he still knew how to say exactly what she needed to hear.

"Wally—" she began, but her voice cracked. She took another moment to collect herself then tried again. "Thank you. This place…it's amazing."

Wally was smiling at her, his eyes bright and hopeful. "So you like it?" he asked, his eyes wide and hopeful.

"Of course," she smiled back. "I love it. I can't believe you even have to ask."

His smile grew wider, but then a moment later it faltered. Suddenly he shifted his weight, pulling away from her. His hand left hers, and she was surprised at how bare her skin felt without its comforting weight. She watched him closely as his shoulders tensed and realized he was steeling himself for something. "Yeah, well" he began slowly a moment later, "There's something else I have to ask."

When his eyes found hers again, there was nothing hopeful about them. "Where have you been for the last three years?"

For a moment, Artemis didn't speak. Wally watched her, transfixed, as her dark eyes held his in a gaze that was as steady as steel. Her face had hardened, he realized, back into the mask. Gone was the girl who a few moments later had actually had tears in her eyes. She'd disappeared behind the expressionless façade. He tried to console himself with the fact that he'd had that girl with him for an entire day while they toured around campus; that he'd seen her laugh and smile and for a while he'd felt like it was the real Artemis again, back from the dead. Or wherever it was she had suddenly retreated back to.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely heard her answer, but then the words drove into him and he was brought searing back into reality.

"Infinity Island."

Her face was still that calm, neutral mask. She didn't break eye contact as she said it, her voice didn't waver. There was no flicker of shame or fear or whatever the hell it was you were supposed to feel when you'd just named the headquarters of the League of Shadows as your former place of residence.

As a student of Stanford, Wally had never felt too self-conscious about his mental capabilities. But right now, as he listened to himself blathering pathetically in the desperate attempt to form coherent words, he was really starting to question what he was doing at an Ivy League university. At last, with a Herculean effort that would have put Superboy to shame, he managed to get a string of words together.

"Uh, right…so…you were—you were working undercover…for…Batman? To infiltrate the League to spy on your dad, or—something?"

Artemis frowned, and Wally heartened slightly at the outward hint of feeling. Then he realized what that feeling implied.

Now it was Artemis' turn to struggle for words. "Um…sort of," she told him uncomfortably. "I _did_ infiltrate the League. I joined them a few months after I quit the team. It took that long for me to prove that I wasn't a double agent. They aren't the most trusting group of people, believe it or not. I had to…convince them."

From the way Artemis looked away at those last words Wally knew he didn't want to know what "convince them" must have meant. Her frown had deepened and she was having trouble meeting his gaze. He got the feeling that as bad as the first part had been, what she had to say next was going to be worse. And he was almost starting to wish she would go back to being expressionless.

At last she spoke again, in a voice that was so quiet he had to strain to hear.

"I infiltrated the League," she was saying. "But I didn't do it so I could spy on my father…I did it so I could kill him."


	8. Chapter 8

_Artemis aimed a roundhouse kick at Wally's head and he desperately fought the impulse to scream like a little girl. He managed to doge at the last second, but just barely. The green-clad girl smirked at him, a flash of humor briefly illuminating her steely eyes before they narrowed again in determination. Behind them, he heard Dick's mischievous snicker, and shot a quick glare at the thirteen year old before turning back to his sparring partner._

_"Uh oh, Baywatch," the she-devil taunted, "Even your best friend thought that one was cutting it pretty close."_

_"Yeah, yeah," Wally shot back, "You martial artists are all alike. Let's just not forget who can break the sound barrier here."_

_"Bragging about superpowers, Wally?" Artemis replied, her smirk growing wider. "Sounds like someone's overcompensating."_

_Wally opened his mouth to reply, but Black Canary's voice cut in. "Alright you two," the instructor intoned impatiently, "Save the flirting for off the mat."_

_Wally just grinned, but Artemis rolled her eyes. "She should talk," the archer muttered, throwing a punch that Wally knew was mostly for show so she could get close enough for him to hear. "Trust me, when she and Ollie spar together it's not even training-" she spun and threw an elbow, which even with her half-effort, he only barely managed to block, "-it's foreplay."_

_"Are you trying to tell me this isn't?" he shot back with a wink, and he saw her smile before she could hide it with another punch, this time thrown with actual force. She aimed for his solar plexus (the brutal little minx) and he may or may not have used his super speed to dodge. Just a little._

_Artemis' eyes narrowed, and suddenly the steely grey took on the gleam of a predator—which made him the prey. The thought probably should have terrified him, but honestly? It kind of just turned him on._

_"You're cheating," the archer told him._

_"Yeah, because you're scary," Wally shot back, only half-joking._

_That brought a wicked smile to her lips, and damn, it was hot. Hot enough to make it practically impossible for him to concentrate—which was definitely going to cost him because Artemis was back on the offensive. He was a goner, Wally knew as he felt himself giving ground in a desperate attempt to avoid the blows. It probably would have helped him to use his super speed again, but all he could think about was the way Artemis moved, fluid as silk, with a transfixing combination of grace and deadliness that was hypnotic to watch. Or the way her hair whipped through the air behind her like a torrent of gold, or how the toned muscles that rippled under the surface of her smooth, tan skin like the muscles on a thoroughbred._

_The lack of concentration finally caught up to him (it always did). Artemis at last landed a hit, a carefully aimed kick to his chest that he knew was purposely tempered to not hurt him but was still powerful enough to knock him off his feet. As he felt himself flying backwards through the air, it occurred to him that the whole time he'd been having his ass handed to him the only thing he'd been able to think about was how beautiful Artemis had been while she was doing it._

_Yep, he was falling. Hard. And not just literally._

_Applause rang out loudly across the large chamber, a nice accompaniment to the echo of his body hitting the ground that still sounded through the room. He didn't need to look up to know it was coming from Dick, the traitor. As gratifying as it was to know that his best friend approved of his new relationship (Wally wasn't sure if he could call it that officially, but he knew he definitely he wanted to) it was obvious that what Dick liked about it most was getting to see Wally look like an idiot most of the time._

_Artemis stood over him, hands on her hips, with a cocky smile on her face. "Where's that super speed now, Wallman?" she asked, and it was taunting and sarcastic, but with a note of affection in it that a few months ago, he'd have never caught. The small hint of fondness in her tone might have seemed like nothing to most people, but to Wally, it sounded like music. _

_"Gone, apparently," he told her and threw a hand across his face theatrically. Then he added in a dramatic voice, "Just like my pride."_

_He was rewarded with a sharp burst of her laughter. She held out a hand and Wally took it, allowing her hoist him to his feet. "Drama-queen," she told him with an eye roll. This time the note of affection was harder to miss._

_"Very nice, Artemis," came the sound of Black Canary's voice. She glanced at Wally with a wry smile. "But as for you, Motor-mouth? I'd stick to the super speed."_

_"Duly noted, Senpai," Wally replied, giving their instructor a mock salute. The tall blonde just shook her head, but Wally could see she was trying not to laugh. "Alright," she said, turning back to Dick, Kaldur, and the rest of the group. "That's enough for today. I don't think I can handle any more of you troublemakers." _

_The teammates exchanged grins and turned to follow their fight instructor out of the training room. Wally saw Dick shoot a mischievous wink over his shoulder until he disappeared around the corner after the rest of the team with a flip of his cape. _

_Artemis started after them, but Wally shot out a hand and grabbed her arm. She glanced at him over her shoulder, a taunting look on her face. "Already up for a rematch?" she asked him teasingly. _

"_Something like that," he muttered, then pulled her against him in a smooth motion, pressing his mouth to hers. _

_It was their fifth kiss since New Year's (yes, he'd been counting). At least, their fifth real one, if you didn't count the very quick, occasional pecks he'd sneak on missions, courtesy of his super speed. By now he had gotten used to the sensation of her soft, full lips, the intoxicating vanilla smell of her hair and the way her skin felt under his fingertips when he'd brush them across her cheek or shoulder. The sensations still left him breathless. _

_And right now, Artemis seemed a little breathless, too. The sudden motion had caught her by surprise, but she'd softened against him almost instantly, wrapping her arms around his neck and curling her fingers in his hair. She moaned a little as he pressed her closer, sliding a hand down to the small of her back where her costume left the skin exposed. Wally loved that sound. _

_There was a word he'd heard once, maybe during his freshmen year biology class. _Euphoria_. He was pretty sure could still remember the definition printed in his textbook: "intense state of transcendent happiness, well-being, or elation". At the time, it had sounded like a load of crap. _

_But at that moment, he understood it better than ever. _

**A/N: This got a little confusing. Originally, I was going to start with a flashback and then transition back to the present within the same chapter...but then I got lazy. The next chapter will resume where Chapter 7 left off! In the meantime, enjoy a little blast from the past.**__


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